Reading apparatus



p 1950 J. w. BRYCE ETAL 2,521,338

READING APPARATUS Y Fileci sept. 19, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTORS TFFM w. aeYcE 30 Hx/ N. WHEELER ATTORNE Sept. 5, 1950 J. w. BRYCE ETAL READING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19, 1946 ATTORNEY g s N, 5K5 m H 0 S 3 Q N\\ w. w 1 m Q 2. l my m w 3 a 2 m w Q 3 New 3 0. MM 41 h m 3 Q Q g /i NT MLI m s n w E m m M m m w m J m w w m, 9 1 m a t m 1 & m

q 1950 J. w. BRYCE ETAL 2,521,338

READING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 F E- 0 20 40 M (90 I00 I20 I40/0 IMZMZZJMZM'ZMJMWWJM 5mm Bar worm/ 5-" AMMEMM mm arm 69 ATTORNEY J. W. BRYCE ETAL Sept. 5, "1950 mpmc APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 19, 1946 I if v 1 away/7' ATTORNEY 6 7 9. 2% flmh H H M I A II D m WN Patented Sept. 5, 1950 READING APPARATUS James W. Bryce, Glen Ridge, N. J., and John N.

Wheeler, Hawthorne, N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 19, 1946, Serial No. 698,032

11 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for translating and storing into one record medium, information which has been recorded previously in another record medium, whereby certain advantages are accrued relative to sensin such information; and it has for a broad object to provide apparatus of this type of simplified and improved construction and arrangement of parts.

In particular, this invention relates to a mechanism whereby intelligence previously recorded in a record strip or tape is translated and stored in another record medium which presents such information in the form of raised Braille characters at a rate compatible with the skill and under the control of the operator who is sensing the information. A device of this type is particularly suited for use by those who are blind.

Normally the dissemination of information to the blind has been by means of acoustical devices or by Braille characters embossed into stiff paper sheets bound together into book form. Either of these or similar methods requires a slow and costly process; furthermore, the products of these methods are both bulky and fragile. The invention set forth hereinafter provides for a simple and durable means by which information can be taken from such wellknown sources as punched tapes, as described in U, S. Patent No. 2,378,371, and translated onto a suitable medium by the way of a simple portable machine to be readily understandable to those who are skilled in reading Braille characters.

Utilization of the invention described herein for providing intelligence to the blind results in the advantages of reduced costs and reduced bulk in publications for the blind. An added advantage is in the simplicity by which information is presented in the form of Braille characters to v the reader. The Braille characters are formed continuously, in accordance with translations from the record strip or tape, into a medium in the form of an endless belt which passes at a speed controlled by the reader continuously under the readers fingers, the characters formed by groups of protruding pins being erased automatically after they are sensed to be replaced by other new characters. Consequently, there are no pages to be turned, no reversal of the line or column scanning as requiredin some Braille books, and at any time the reader can decrease or increase the rate at which the information is being presented tohim with a minimum of dimculty.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a device for reading information from a previously recorded record strip and translating such information into a record medium having means to form readable Braille characters.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for reading information from a previously recorded record strip and translating such information into Braille characters,

.which are set into a record medium by mechanism which is continuously under the control of the reader of the Braille characters.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a record storing medium into which information, which has been sensed and translated into Braille characters, may be stored to be sensed and then erased.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved storage medium into which intelligence may be stored for an indefinite period of time and then erased to have new information stored therein.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig, 1 is an isometric view of a device embodying the features of the invention, and includes a suggested location for placing the hand of an operator in order to read Braille characters most readily as they are presented.

Figs 2 is a plan view of the interior of the mechanism of Fig. 1 (cover removed),

Fig. 3 is an electrical circuit diagram illustrating the necessary electrical controls and circuit wiring.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 2 and showing the pin set-up mechanism and the tape analyzing mechanism.

Fig, 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig 4- illustrating the tape advancing mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 2 showing the pin belt path, the pin resetting mechanism and the pin set-up mechanism.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and showing the drive shaft and mechanism for advancing the pin belt.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2 illustrating the tape advancing mechanism and associated mechanisms including electrical circuit contacts.

Fig. 9 is an electrical and mechanical timing chart for the device.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of portions of the record tape and the pin belt showing the respective arrangements of perforations in the former and set pins in the latter according to the standard Braille code.

Fig. 11 illustrates a pin belt in which some pins have been set for sensing and others restored to their neutral positions.

Fig. 12 shows the essential procedure for punching holes into the pin belt for yieldably holding the movable pins.

Fig. 13 illustrates further details of the process by which the pin belt is prepared and the positions taken by a pin in the pin belt when a pin is set to be sensed or restored to its neutral position.

In Fig. 1 is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention wherein a previously prepared record tape 2|! is fed from a hopper 2| through a guide 22 to a sensing station 23 where information contained in the record tape is sensed and analyzed in a manner similar to that shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,378,371. Thereafter, the information is passed on to the remaining mechanism of the subject invention, as hereinafter explained, and the tape 26 is fed into a receiving hopper 24. The sensed information is translated by the previously mentioned mechanisms and caused to actuate pins 25 to protrude from a pin belt 26, as shown in Fig. 11. The pins 25 are arranged in the pin belt 26 (see Fig. ii) in character groups 21 of six pins each to correspond to standard Braille character groups. The pin belt 26 is caused to move in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 so that the fingers of the hand of a person skilled in reading Braille characters may sense the positions of the protruding pins 25 as they are presented and thereby receive the information previously set up in the prepared record tape 26. The record tape 20 and the pin belt 26 are synchronized while any character group is being set into the pin belt 25; however, after a character group of set pins 25 in the pin belt 26 progresses beyond the reading area 25 the pins 25 are reset to their neutral positions so that other new settings can be made representing other new information being received from the record tape 25.

The rate of progress of both the record tape 20 and the pin belt 26 is controlled by the speed of a driving motor 26 (see Figs. 2 and 3) which is controlled by the switch I. and the rheostat 2| (See Fig. 3), both of which controls are operated by the person who is reading the Braille character groups. These controls may be combined in a conventional manner to be operated by a foot pedal.

With reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, when the I previously mentioned switch 36 is closed the a clutch mechanism 56 (similar to that disclosed in U. 8. Patent No. 2,378,371) which couples shaft to another shaft 31. Shaft 31 is the main drive shaft for the mechanism which receives the prepared record tape, and, in addition, carries cams for operating electrical circuits which are described later herein. A drive gear 38 which meshes with an idler gear 56 to drive another gear 46 is attached to shaft 31. The gear 40 is fastened to a shaft 4| which is the main drive shaft for the mechanism which operates the pin belt 26. The gear ratios are so selected that shaft 4| will make one complete revolution for each complete revolution of shaft 31. A worm gear 42 is attached to the end of the shaft 4| to mesh with a worm gear 43 attached to a shaft 44; the gear ratio of these worm gears is one-to-one.

One revolution of shaft 31 represents one machine cycle during which a length of the record tape 20 progresses sufficiently to permit the succeeding group of punched designations to be sensed, and the pin actuating mechanism actuates pins in the pin belt 26 corresponding to the sensed designations in the record tape. Cycles of operation will be repeated as long as the switch 30 remains closed.

During the first part of each cycle, the record tape 20 is advanced to bring a new group designation into sensing position. With reference to Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the advancing mechanism consists of a cam 45 mounted on the shaft 31 and cooperating with a rocking lever 46 pivoted on a stud 41. In Fig. 5 the cam 45 and the lever 46 are shown in the starting position. When cam 45 starts to rotate, as indicated by the arrow, the lever 46 will rotate in the same direction due to the action of the spring 46 urging the cam follower 49 to follow the cam 45. Near the end of the cycle the action of the cam 45 on the cam follower 49 will rotate the lever 46 in the opposite direction. A link 50 pivoted on lever 46 is fastened to another link 5| by means of a stud 52. Link 5| is pivoted at one end on a shaft 53 to which is connected also a ratchet wheel 54. A pawl 55 is pivoted on the stud 52 and is secured to the other end of the link 5| by means of a spring 56. The action of the mechanism just described causes the ratchet 54 to be advanced by the pawl 55, in the direction indicated by the arrow, when the lever 46 begins to rotate due to the action of spring 46 at the beginning of each cycle while the link 5|] will cause the pawl 55 to move upwards to engage the next tooth of ratchet 54 when the lever 46 is acted on by the cam 45 near the end of each cycle. A detent wheel 51 fixed to the shaft 53 and a cooperating roller 55 (see Fig. 2) prevent the ratchet 54 from reversing when the pawl 55 moves over it near the end of each cycle.

The shaft 53 is provided with a sprocket wheel 59 having radially extending pins which enage perforations 84 (see Fig. 10) in the record tape 26 to advance it a predetermined distance when the shaft 53 rotates. The record tape 26, having perforations indicative of previously recorded informations, is caused to progress over a sensing station comprising six sensing pins 6|, there being one sensin pin for each coded hole perforation in the record tape 20. When a group designation in the record tape 26 is advanced to the sensing station by the progress of the tape, the pins II will be aligned with their respective coded perforations in the record tape 26. Guide blocks 62 and 65 and their corresponding guide openings in a table 64 and a gate 65 (see Fig. 8) permit the sensing pins 6| to move upward in their respective sensing positions to engage and occupy perforations in the record tape when such perforations exist.

Each sensing pin 5| is supported by and operaccuses ntively connected at its lower extremity to a movable spring blade 66 having an electrical contact normally closed against an electrical contact on a fixed spring blade 61. The spring blades 66 normally urge their respective sensing pins 6| upward and maintaintheir contacts closed with the associated contacts of the fixed spring blade 61.

Between sensing operations, the pins 6| are held as in Fig. 8 by the lateral edge 66 01' a rocker element 69 which extends across the pins within'transversely aligned notches 16 provided, respectively, in the sides of the sensing pins 6|. The element 69 is pivotally supported on a stud and is constantly urged to move clockwise by a tension spring I2. A depending arm I3 carrying a roller. I4 is held in contact with a cam 16 on the shaft 31 by the spring 12. When the roller 14 engages the high part of the cam 15 the element 69 is rotated counterclockwise to move the sensing pins 6| downward and to open their associated contacts such as those on spring blades 66 and 61.

Provision is made to determine when there is no record tape 26 at the sensing station by the inclusion of a seventh pin 16 and a pair of contacts ll, one of which is on a movable spring blade I6 which constantly urges the pin 16 against the record tape. The end of the pin .16 is of sufficient diameter not to emerge through any perforation in the record tape. Normally, therefore, when there is a. record tape in the sensing position, the contacts are closed, while when there is no recordtape in the sensing position (as shown in Fig. 8) the pin 16 moves upward under the pressure of, the spring blade 16 and the contacts 11 open.

A more detailed description of the record tape sensing operation is found in U. S. Patent No. 2,378,371; however, a suilicient description will be given herein to enable the present invention to be understood.

After the record tape has been moved to present a group designation in the form of perforations in the tape to the sensing station, the rocker element 69 will be moved clockwise so that the pins 6| will move upwards due to the urging of their respective contacting spring blades 66. When any of the pins 6| engages a perforation, the pin will continue to move upwards and its associated contacts on the spring blades 66 and 61 will close, thereby sensing the perforation. Any of the pins 6| which does not engage a perforation will be stopped in its upward travel by encountering the tape, thereby preventing further upward motion of the pin and maintaining its associated contacts open. Near the end of the cycle, the rocker element 69 will .be rotated counterclockwise and all the pins 6| will be withdrawn from engagement or contact with the record tape to permit the latter to be advanced so that a new group designation can be sensed. A pair of contacts 19 for analyzing the position of the rocker element 69 is provided so that when the roller 14 is on the low part of the cam 15 and rocker element 69 at maximum clockwise position, the contacts 19 are closed and when the roller 14 is on the high point of the cam 15 and rocker element 69 at maximum counterclockwise position, the contacts 19 are open.

As has been previously mentioned, the current invention is a translating device wherein intelligence in the form of perforations in a tape is translated into pin protrusions in a flexible endless belt in order to be sensed. Fig. shows the coding arrangements in the record tape 26 The magnet supporting brackets 93 6 and in the pin belt 26. At position 66 in the record tape 26 is indicated the positions, numbered one to six, where perforations may be made to represent character group designations and at position 6| in the pin belt 26 is indicated the cor.- responding pin positions, numbered respectively, one to six, where pins may be set to protrude to form standard Braille character group designations. At position 62 in the record tape 26 perforations corresponding to the alphabetical character 0 have been made, while at position 66 in the pin belt 26 the corresponding pins have been set to protrude to permit one who is skilled in the reading of Braille to sense the alphabetical character 0. It is to be noted that the perforations 64 in the record tape 26 are placed for purposes of advancing the record tape. Simi- 'larly, the perforations 65 in the pin belt 26 are placed for purposes of advancing the pin belt. It is to be noted further, in order to conserve space in the record tape, that while one column of perforations is required in the record tape 26 to represent the character 0, two columns of pin protrusions are required in the pin belt 26 in order to conform to the standard Braille character group designation. In other words, interpolation is required to be performed in translating character representations from the record tape to the pin belt.

Interpolation is performed by controlling the contacts associated with the sensing pins 6| so that during one part of the operating cycle three of the sets of contacts control the energizing, respectively, of three pin setting magnets 66 (see Figs. 2, 4, and v6), while during another part of the operating cycle three other sets of contacts control the energizing, respectively, of the magnets 66. Three cams 61 are fixed to the shaft 31 tovcontrol by means of pivoted followers 66 the operation of three sets of contacts, each consisting of a movable contact blade 69, which is biased to hold a follower 86 against a cam 81, a fixed upper contact blade 96, and a fixed lower contact blade 9| (see Figs. 4 and 8).

When a cam 61 through its follower 66 moves 'a blade 69 to close the circuit between blades 69 and 96 during one part of the machine cycle, a magnet 66 is energized by one of a group of three sets of sensing pin contacts, while when the same cam 61 through its follower 66 moves the same blade 69 to close the circuit between blades 69 and 9| during another part of the machine cycle the same magnet 66 is energized by one of another group of three sets of sensing pin contacts. The design of the cams 61 and the associated followers and contacts is such that a movable blade 69 will contact either-a fixed blade 96 or 9|, or neither, during the full operating cycle.

The pin set-up mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, and consists of three pin setting magnets 66 mounted on a yoke 92 which in turn is mounted on a bracket 93 having in addition a pivotally mountedarmature 94 which pivots about a pivot shaft 95. A berillium copper strip 96 is also mounted on the bracket 93 to ccact with the armature 94 serving both as a residual and as a restoring spring. One end 94a of the armature 94 is bent over, shaped, and arranged so that when the magnet 66 is energized the armature will move to engage and to set a pin 25 to protrude a predetermined amount from the pin belt 26. are all mounted on a common plate 91 supported by the side plates 96. On the under side of the plate is mounted a pin leveling plate 69 for the purpose of setting all pins 20 in the pin belt 20 to a uniform lever just prior to their arrival under the ends I: of the armatures 00.

with reference to Fig.7, the shaft 00, previously described, makes one revolution during each operating cycle, and is supported at each end by bearings I and MI which are in turn mounted in the bearing plates I02 and I03 mounted on the inner side plate 00 (see Fig. 4) Rigidly mounted to the shaft 00 are two worm gears I00 and I00 meshing respectively with two worm wheels I00 and I0! which are fixed respectively to shafts I00 and I09 having bearings IIO (see Fig. 2). The worm wheels I00 and I01 cooperating respectively with the worm gears I00 and I05 are so selected to provide that for each revolution (360 degrees) of shaft 00 the shafts I00 and I09 will rotate 12 degrees. Two collars III and H2 are fastened to the shaft 00 and are spaced against the bearings I 00 and III to prevent any appreciable end play of the shaft 00. Slidably mounted on the shaft 00 is also a sleeve I I0 to which is fastened a worm gear III and a cam H5. The worm gear IIO meshes with a worm wheel IIS fixed on a shaft II! which is provided with bearings IIB mounted to the side plates 98. The cam I I5 is held against a cam follower IIS by a compression spring I surrounding the shaft 00 and bearing against the hub of the worm gear I05 and against the sleeve III. Cam follower II! is axially mounted about the shaft 00 and clamped in a block I2l which is in turn secured to the side plate 90.

The sleeve H3 is rotated by means of a pin I22 secured to shaft 00 bearing against the sleeve I I3 by the way of a slot I23 cut into the sleeve. The

worm wheel H5 is so selected that it rotates 18 degrees for each complete revolution of the shaft 00.

The cam I I5 has two areas in which the rise of the cam is the same as the lead of the worm-gear IIO (see Fig. 9), l. e., from 54 degrees to 174 degrees and from 198 degrees to 318 degrees. Consequently, there are two periods (from 30 degrees to 54 degrees and from 174 degrees to 198 degrees) during which the cam has a very rapid drop and one period (from 318 degrees-through zero degreesto 30 degrees) during which the cam has no drop nor rise. Thus, the shaft III has a uniform rate of rotation from 318 degrees (through zero degrees to 30 degrees). From 30 r degrees to 54 degrees the shaft III has a very high rate of rotation, from 54 degrees to 1'74 degrees the shaft will be stationary. From 174 degrees to 198 degrees the shaft I I 1 has a very high rate of rotation, and from 198 degrees to 318 degrees the shaft II! will be stationary again.

Attached to the shafts I00, I00, and III are, respectively, the sprocket wheels I20, I25, and I20, as shown in Fig. 6. The sprocket wheels I20 and I20 are of equal diameter and each has fifteen pairs of projecting teeth I21 spaced equally around its circumference. The sprocket wheel I20 is two-thirds the diameter of the sprocket wheels I20 and I25 and has ten pairs of projecting teeth I20 spaced equally around its circumference so that its peripheral linear speed will be equal to that of each of the sprocket wheels I20 and I20. Each of the three sprocket wheels has three tapered grooves I29 cut into its periphery (see Fig. 4) centrally located between the teeth I21 (in sprocket wheels I20 and I20) and, the teeth I20 (in sprocket wheel I26) the grooves so spaced that each is aligned to clear a corresponding line of pins 20 of the belt 20.

The pin belt 20 is made from a continuous strip of a resilient material, such as polyvinyl butyral plastic containing predetermined pattern groups of punched holes into which are inserted metallic pins of a length substantially greater than the thickness of the strip. Due to the inherent property of materials such as polyvinyl butyral plastic when a hole is punched into a strip of such material, the resultant hole has convex sides with a minimum diameter less than the diameter of the punch. This phenomenon is due to the tendency of some materials to cause a flow of material away from an area where pressure is applied by an instrument such as a punch; however, because of the low modulus of elasticity normally found in such materials, there will be a limited flow until the punch pierces the material. When the punch is removed the material becomes partially restored and the resultant reversed fiow of material produces an hour-glass shaped hole.

In this invention advantage is taken of the above phenomenon so that when a strip of such material is punched, a pin of uniform diameter, the same as the punch diameter, will be seized by the convex side walls of the punched hole when the pin is inserted. By regulating the temperature at which the punching operation is performed, the effect noted above can be regulated so that a pin inserted in a punched hole in a strip of material having such properties will be gripped with any reasonably desired pressure, consequently the pin can be moved to protrude from the strip and returned to its original position again and again thus avoiding the necessity for providing springs to hold the pin in various positions with respect to the belt or strip in which it is inserted.

Fig. 12 shows a method by which a pin belt can be prepared. A strip of material I30, such as polyvinyl butyral plastic, is advanced through a refrigerating pan I3I containing Dry Ice I32 past a temperature indicating station I33 having a thermometer I30 (to indicate the critical temperature necessary to produce the desired degree of the effect previously described) thence to a punch I35 and die I06 to produce the hour-glass shaped holes I31. Consequently, as explained, and referring to Fig. 13, a hole II! of hour-glass shape is produced by a punch of diameter D. The resultant hole is approximately of diameter D where the punch enters and leaves the surfaces of the strip of material; however, approximately at its center the hole has a smaller diameter d tapering toward both ends to the larger diameter D. A pin 25 of diameter D inserted into the hole will cause the material of the strip to be compressed around the pin (as indicated in the areas I00) to yield- 1 ably retain the pin 25 in one of several positlons of the pin's protruding as at X and Y.

A section of a pin belt 20, prepared in the manner described above, is shown in Fig. 11, together with a means whereby the protruding pins 20 can be restored to their normal positions. Pins shown protruding from the top of the belt 20 on the left side of the rollers I00 and I00 are passed between those rollers and pressed back into their normal positions as shown to the right of the rollers. As previously described, grooves may be cut in roller I00 to permit the pins 20 t be positioned normally so they protrude from the bottom of the belt 20 when they are not set.

The belt 20, a belt constructed as described above, is fed over the sprocket wheel I20 of which the teeth I20 engage the pin belt perforations 00,

the belt 26 being held in contact with the sprocket wheel I26 by two pairs of rollers I4I. Thence the belt 26 is fed around sprocket wheel I24 of which the teeth I21 engage the pin belt perforations 85,

the belt being held in contact with sprocket wheel I24 by a pair of rollers I42. From sprocket wheel I24 the belt is fed through the reading area ZZ' (see Fig. 6) where it is guided by a slotted member I43 and supported by the plates I44 which are secured to bent-over portions of the side plates 36 (see Fig. 4) to form a slotted platform upon which the belt 26 is supported in order to be sensed by the fingers of the Braille-reader, the slotted portion of the platform permitting the protruding pins 25 to pass uninterrupted. The belt 26 is then fed over sprocket wheel I25 of which teeth I21 engage pin belt perforations 65, the belt 26 being held against the sprocket wheel I25 by a roller I45 mounted on a shaft I46 supported by a pair of arms I41 which are pivotally mounted on the studs I48. The arms I41 are connected to tension springs I49 which are fastened to studs I50 in the side plates 98 so that the roller I45 exerts sufficient pressure against the sprocket wheel I25 to reset the pins 25 in the pin belt 26 as the belt passes between these rollers in a, manner similar to that shown in Fig. 11 with reference to rollers I39 and I46. The pin belt 26 is then fed to sprocket wheel I26, thereby completing its route of travel.

The sprocket wheel I 26, rigidly secured to shaft II1, moves intermittently in the manner previously described, and is positioned on its shaft so that during the first idle period (54 to 1'14 degrees of rotation of shaft 44), each of three pins 25 in the first column of a group 21 in the pin belt 26 lies under its respective armature end 94a. During this time the magnets 36 are energized (at 100 degrees of rotation of shaft 44, which is a measure of the machine cycle) according to the closing of contacts on spring blades 66 and 61 resulting from pins 6| penetrating perforations in the record tape 20 at sensing station 23. After the magnets 86 are deenergized (at 160 degrees of machine cycle), the pin belt 26 is advanced rapidly (from 174 to 198 degrees) until the second idle period (from 198 to 318 degrees) of sprocket wheel I26 is reached when each of three pins 25 in the second column of a group 21 in the pin belt 26 lies under its respective armature end 94a. During this time, the magnets 86 again are energized (at 242 degrees) according to the closing of contacts on spring blades 66 and 61 resulting from pins 6I penetrating perforations in the record tape 20 at the sensing station 23.

The record tape'20 is held idle, the pins 6I penetrating perforations in the tape, during the entire period mentioned immediately preceding (i. e., from 54'degrees to 3'18 degrees of rotation of shaft 44). By means of the three cams 61 and their cooperating sets of contacts on the blades 69, 96, and 9| any or all of six perforations in the tape 20 can be sensed by the pins 6| to energize the magnets 56 through the contacts on the spring blades 66 and 61 so that the first three perforations in a line of sixin the tape 20 may cause three pins 25 comprising the first column of a group 21 in the pin belt 26 to be set at one time and the second three perforations of the line of six in the tape 20 and three pins 25 comprising the second column of a group 21 in the pin belt 26 to be set at another time.

During the rotation of the shaft 44 from 318 only is advanced until at 30 degrees both the pin belt 26' and the record tape 26 are advanced so that a new group of pins on the former is presented to the pin setting mechanism and a new line of perforations on the latter is presented to the sensing station as the shaft 44 rotates in a position of 54 degrees. Pins 25 set up in the pin belt are so maintained until they travel past the roller I45 where they are reset or restored to normal.

The electrical circuits of the invention can be understood by reference to Fig. 3. Direct current for energizing magnets 66, all relays, and the clutch magnet 32 is obtained from a half wave rectifier I5I which charges a condenser I52 preloaded by a resistor I53 fed from the 115-volt 60-cycle supply represented by conductors I54 and I55. As previously mentioned, the driving motor 29 is regulated for speed by the rheostat 3I and the initial circuits are completed by closing contacts I56 and I51 of the switch 36.

When switch 30 is closed, a circuit is completed from line conductor I54 through switch-36, contacts I56, through relay coil I53, through half wave rectifier I5I to line conductor I55, thereby energizing the relay I56 and causing its normally open contacts I59 and I66 to become closed. The closing of contacts I 59 causes current to flow from line conductor I 54 through rheostat 3I, through driving motor 29 to line conductor I55, thereby causing the motor 26 to operate. A circuit is also established by closing of switch 30 from line conductor I54 through switch 36, contacts I51, relay coil I6I and clutch magnet 32 (in parallel), rectifier I5I, line conductor I55 to energize clutch magnet 32 and relay I6I, thereby closing its contacts I62 and I63. Clutch magnet 32 causes clutch 36 to couple the shafts 35 and 31 together.

A circuit control cam I64 is attached to shaft H in such a way as to close contacts I65 from 280 to 115 degrees (through 360 degrees) of the machine cycle.

When switch 30 is opened at any time between zero and 280 degrees of the machine cycle, operation will. continue until 354 degrees, after which the inertia of the moving parts will cause operation to continue further up to 360 degrees when clutch 36 will decouple shafts 35 and 31 unless clutch magnet 32 is energized. The controlling circuits are as follows:

(1) *Driving motor will remain energized by- I54, contacts I63, contacts I65, clutch magnet 32 and relay coil I6I (in parallel), rectifier I5I, line conductor I55.

(3) At 115 degrees of the machine cycle, cam I64 opens contacts I65 deenergizing clutch magnet 32 and relay coil I6I; contacts I62 and I63 will open. Clutch 36 will be conditioned to decouple shafts 35 and 31 when clutch magnet 32 releases. Note: When switch 30 is opened after 115 degrees up to 279 degrees, contacts I51 will produce same result as contacts I65.)

(4) At 115 degrees when contacts I62 open, the current through relay coil I56 will be maintained by the circuitline conductor I 54, contacts 18 (closed from 68 to 354 degrees of machine cycle), contacts I 66, relay coil I 55, rectidegrees to 360 degrees (zero), the pin belt 26 iier I5I. line conductor I55.

When contacts I! open, the relay III is deenergized and contacts I59 and I" will open, thereby deenergizing the driving motor 29.

When switch is opened at any time after 280 degrees of the machine cycle, the machine will continue to operate until 354 degrees of the subsequent machine cycle and thereafter coast to a stop at 360 degrees, the clutch decoupling the drive shafts and 31, as previously mentioned, since operating circuits will be maintained by the contacts I65 which close at 280 degrees to keep the relay coil l5! energized, even though the contacts I51 of switch 30 are open.

During the time the machine is running and when there is a record tape 20 properly positioned in the sensing unit, the magnets 86 will be energized in accordance with perforations in the record tape by the circuit-line conductor I55, rectifier I5l, contacts 1'! (closed by action of record tape against pin 16), contacts of spring o blades 61 and 66, through contacts on blades 89 and 90 (for setting pins of the first column of a group 21 in a pin belt 26) or through contacts on blades 89 and 9| (for setting pins of the second column of a group 21 in a pin belt 26), magnets 86, contacts I66, contacts I52, line conductor I54.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefor, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, in combination, an endless flexible medium carrying a plurality of positionable pins adaptable to being set in combinations, a pin setting mechanism associated with said medium, a platform on which a portion of said medium is supported to permit physical inspection of said pins, a mechanism for restoring said pins to their original positions after being set, means for advancing said medium to present said pins successively to the said setting mechanism, to the said platform, and to the said restoring mechanism, and means coacting with the said setting mechanism to control the settings of the said pins.

2. The combination of a pin setting mechanism and a record sensing mechanism, means for advancing a record past said sensing mechanism, means for actuating the said setting mechanism in response to information sensed by the said sensing mechanism, an endless flexible medium carrying groups of movable pins adapted to be set in combinations, a pin restoring mechanism, means for advancing the said medium to present the said pins to the said setting medium and thereafter to the said restoring mechanism, and a platform between the said setting mechanism and the said restoring mechanism whereon the 12 said medium is supported for physical inspection.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2 with the further inclusion of means for regulating the rate of advance of the said record and of the said medium.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 2 with the provision that the said medium is homogeneous.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 2 with the provision that the said medium consists of a pliable belt carrying a plurality of movable pins adapted to be set in combinations, said pins yieldably retained in holes in the said belt.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 2 with the provision that the said medium consists oi an endless pliable belt having a plurality of holes, the diameter of each hole varying uniformly with its depth from a minimum diameter at its center of depth to a maximum diameter at each end, and a plurality of movable pins of a diameter substantially larger than the minimum hole diameter inserted in the said holes, the said pins being adapted to be set in combinations.

7. A flexible homogeneous medium containing a plurality of holes the diameter of each of which varies from a maximum at the ends of the hole to a minimum near the center of the hole, and a pin of a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the said hole inserted in each of the said holes, each of the said pins being positionable in its hole to protrude from either surface of the said medium upon the application of pressure to the end of said pin.

8. A flexible homogeneous medium containing a plurality of holes, and a plurality of movable pins inserted into the said holes, the said pins being adapted to be set in combinations and the said holes having a non-uniform bore so shaped to yieldably retain the said pins.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 8 with the provision that the said medium is a plastic.

10. A flexible medium preformed with a plurality of holes insertably to receive movable pins, the walls of the said holes being contoured for yieldably retaining said pins.

11. A flexible medium preformed with a plurality of holes insertably to receive movable pins, the said holes having a non-uniform bore so shaped to yieldably retain the said pins.

JAMES W. BRYCE. JOHN N. WHEELER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,178,991 Brown Apr. 11, 1916 1,862,633 Ramsay June 14, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 165,926 Great Britain June 27, 1921 844,075 France Apr. 11, 1939 

